I am always looking for good resources to share with the rest of the Dysphagia Cafe community. One of the ways that this has come to fruition is through the amazing contributions to this blog from SLPs all over the world. Another way which has been helpful has been my insomnia. Because you see, nothing says “You might be a dysphagia therapist if…”(ala Ginger Anderson’s amazing blog) like searching Youtube late at night with keywords “exercise, dysphagia, tongue”. Much to your benefit, my search yielded an innocent gem.
I know many are quite familiar with the IOPI (Iowa Oral Performance Instrument). It is a device by IOPI Medical (www.iopimedical.com) that has been around for about 20 years. It allows the clinician to objectively measure and document lip and tongue strength, as well as provide biofeedback. If you are unfamiliar with the device, take a few minutes and watch this video. Do you get CEUs for watching it? Nah, but you will feel a whole lot smarter afterwards, I guarantee it!!! Don’t forget to leave thoughts and comments as well as your experiences with the IOPI System.
